Generally, when connecting electrical wires together or when connecting an electrical wire to a circuit board, a pair of connectors having structures detachable from each other is used. A latch mechanism for fastening such a pair of connectors includes, for example, a latch lever on one connector that hooks onto a wall portion of the other connector for engagement or an engaging pawl integrally formed with the wall of one connector that engages with an engaging groove formed in the wall of the other connector. For disengagement, the latch lever is moved by a finger in a disengaging direction, or the wall portions of the connectors are elastically bent to disengage one from the other. By allowing the pair of connectors thus connected to be disconnected in this manner, not only can the connectors be prevented from becoming accidentally disconnected, but the efficiency of making electrical connection can be improved, while the ability to maintain the connection of the devices connected via the pair of connectors is also enhanced.
However, in the field of amusement industry where game balls, game tokens, etc. won from game machines can be exchanged for prizes, illegal tampering of game machines has been a problem, the tampering being often done by connecting a special component similar to the legal electric or electronic component to the game machine via a connector and controlling the game machine in an illegal way. Such illegal components are skillfully made and resemble the legal ones so close that externally they are often not easily distinguishable, making it difficult to discover the illegal tampering.
In view of the above situation, various strategies have been employed in the amusement industry related field to prevent illegal tampering of game machines. In one method, a pair of connectors is made inseparable by gluing them together with an adhesive or the like, thus rendering the connection of an illegal component itself impossible. This method, however, has the problem that if any component connected via such connectors to the game machine becomes defective and has to be replaced with a new component, the pair of connectors has to be destroyed.
In another example, a structure that can make a pair of connectors not easily separable without gluing them together is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-34784. This reference discloses a connector cover that covers a board connector and a cable connector in such a manner that the mated connectors are not visible from the outside. The interior side of the connector cover has a large number of engaging protrusions that engage with engaging portions formed on the walls, etc. of the pair of connectors. With the engaging protrusions of the connector cover engaging with the engaging portions formed on the walls of the connectors, the connector cover is fixed, e.g., coupled or attached, onto the pair of connectors.
The connector cover cannot be removed from the connectors without destroying the cover itself. When, for example, the game machine has failed, the failed electronic component is replaced by destroying only the cover but not destroying the pair of connectors, so that the pair of connectors can be connected once again. If the game machine has been tampered with, the tampering can be discovered visually, as the connector cover is destroyed.
Because this connector cover is formed in a box-like shape to cover the entire structure of the paired connectors, an additional space for mounting the connector cover has to be provided around the connectors. This has led to the problem that the connector cover cannot be mounted to the connectors if there is no mounting space around the connectors in the game machine.
Further, depending on the mounting conditions of the connectors and the connector cover, a gap may be formed between the connectors and the connector cover, resulting in insufficient engagement between the engaging portions of the connectors and the engaging protrusions of the connector cover, or deformation of the connector cover due to application of an external force, the connector cover thus tending to easily disengage.
In view of the above problems, it is an object of at least one embodiment of the present invention to provide a connector protective cover that can prevent illegal removal of connectors, and that has a compact structure not requiring an extra mounting space.